In a given year, it is not uncommon for distribution centers of a large retailer to ship millions of products to retail stores, and for retail stores to receive and stock millions of products. The products are typically picked, shipped, delivered, and stocked by human operators. Similarly, human operators manually record (e.g., using an electronic device) the tasks they perform with respect to the products as well as inventory information associated with the products.
It is not uncommon for human operators to erroneously pick and/or ship and/or stock a product while entering inventory information that would be appropriate if the correct product was picked and/or shipped and/or stocked by the operator. As a result of such operator error, it is not uncommon for perpetual inventory information at retail stores to be incorrect, with some retail stores stocking more units of a product than indicated by perpetual inventory data and some retail stores stocking less units of a product than indicated by perpetual inventory data. Such inventory errors can lead to situations where a product is indicated to be out of stock is actually in stock and situations where a product is indicated to be in stock is actually out of stock.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.